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53 °F 5 Day Forecast Saturday, November 29, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend October 13, 2003 MarAbel Frohnmayer was key backer of arts By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune MarAbel Frohnmayer will be remembered as a gracious, elegant woman who loved music, shunned the spotlight, and was always ready to help people in need. Frohnmayer died Sunday at her home in Medford at the age of 94 from the complications of old age. She and her late husband, Otto, who died in 2000, were known for their community service in Jackson County for more than six decades. "They came here when things were much smaller and slower," said her son, Dave, president of the University of Oregon. "They grew with the valley with a sense of service to the community." While Otto Frohnmayer rose to prominence as an attorney and became a leading figure in Medford, MarAbel Frohnmayer raised four children and worked with nonprofit organizations such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Britt Music Festivals, and the Rogue Valley Opera. Advertisement A lifelong music lover, she helped found the Rogue Valley Symphony, and was first president of the Rogue Valley Chorale. For many years she chaired the Civic Music Association, and later the Community Concerts series. "She was one of those people who always wanted to do more for you than you could do for her," said Lynn Sjolund, director of the Rogue Valley Chorale and a friend for nearly 50 years. MarAbel Frohnmayer’s dinner parties were legendary in Medford, said Patsy Smullin, president of California Oregon Broadcasting Inc. "She was interested in everyone and everything," Smullin said. "She was always entertaining, and entertaining the way people did in the past, when everything was home-made, and the dishes were beautiful, and the hostess played piano for you for a while." MarAbel Frohnmayer’s interests stretched beyond music and the arts. She was the first president of the Rogue Valley Hospital Auxiliary, and an early supporter of hospice care. She was an active member of PEO, an international organization that promotes education and philanthropy, She was born in Minneapolis in 1909 and came with her family to Oregon in 1912. She attended Albany public schools, earned a degree in music at the University of Oregon, and taught in elementary and secondary schools. She was teaching in Klamath County while Otto courted her from Medford. "It was a long-distance romance," Dave Frohnmayer recalled. "They corresponded every day." They married in 1936. Two of their children made their careers in music, and two followed their father into the law. Their only daughter, Mira, is now a professor of music and chairwoman of vocal studies at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. Their son, Philip, is a professor of music and chairman of vocal studies at Loyola University in New Orleans, Their son, John, a former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, is now an attorney in Montana. Dave, who served as Oregon attorney general for eight years, also served as dean of the University of Oregon law school. He became president of the University of Oregon after an unsuccessful run for governor. "Our family life together was significantly defined by music," Dave Frohnmayer said, recalling family songfests at home and on camping trips. No memorial service is planned, he said. "She didn’t want people fussing over her. We will honor her wish." Memorial contributions may be made to the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund, 1801 Willamette St., Suite 200, Eugene, OR 97401; the University of Oregon School of Music, University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97401; or any health-care charity of the donor’s choice. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times